The Unicorn
by G.R.W
Summary: The early years of the 12th century, had been precarious for the Kingdom of Kaedwen. Whose heads of state, began to fall one after the other, as throughout the country some lords still waged war with the remaining cells of elves. While in the capital, the reins of power, held for generations by the Dynasty of the Unicorn, had been placed into the hands of the last heir to the seat.
1. I

**.I. **

* * *

Early in the morning, a couple of hours after dawn. A woman dressed in a black cloak and with her head covered by a hood had stepped off the main street, leading to the palace, into a blocked side street, at the end of which was a bathhouse. She entered the building and advanced towards the private baths, located beyond the common area in the southeastern side of the establishment. Where, without even searching, she had stumbled upon the place where the sweet young prince she knew long ago, now older, crowned as king a mere few days ago, was spending his morning. Sitting in a chair a few steps away from a wooden tub, with an untouched full tankard of ale on the table to his right, near which was his sword and in between sat a vase filled with a handful of tulips and daisies, as in his left hand he held a book with a red cover. He was resting his head on the chair's backrest and the wall behind, as he was staring through the thin layer of steam present in the room, at a wooden beam holding the celling. The woman stopped near the door. 'Your Grace.', she said bowing her head, approaching while taking off her hood, revealing her auburn locks of hair.

'Ah. Sorceress.', replied the king, recognizing her voice instantly. 'What brings you here ? Is it to frown upon the deplorable state the current patron has brought this establishment to ?', asked the young king, turning his head her way.

'To my disappointment, Your Grace. It is not why I'm here. I've just come to discuss several matters with the owner.', she answered, taking a couple of steps inside the chamber. 'I believe you have your reasons for being here as well.'.

'I may have, several, yes...', he responded, placing the book he had in his left hand on the table to his right. 'How are you ?'.

She softly smiled. 'I am good, Your Grace.'.

'I hear you've been revered through the city as a healer in the last decade I was away. Rumors say you left Ard Carraigh, and chose to live outside of the city walls, in a hut deep in the woods south on the eastern bank of the Lixela.'.

'Sometimes, it befits one, to live in the simplest of ways, Your Grace.'.

'I do not doubt that.', the king replied, thoroughly gazing at the sorceress. 'Yet, I believe my father, The King, may he rest in peace...Was one of several reasons, you left the city, and settled southeast of the capital. I'd wager, he did not like that very much either ?'.

She didn't respond, yet her red lips formed a subtle smile, while she set her eyes over the white vase of tulips and daisies, on the table to the king's right side.

The king chuckled, turning his gaze at the blue wall on the opposite side of the room, then addressed the sorceress. 'Aren't you going to ask ?'.

'Why would I ? It is none of my business. Yet, following the recent events, I'd guess...Half of the royal advisors, are keen to properly inform you about your kingdom, and matters of the state. While, the others are coming up with ways to recuperate parts of the royal treasury, your generous brother had loaned or spent. This very bathhouse, being one of the lucky few recipients, your brother chose to aid financially, circa several months before his- passing. However, since Your Highness wants me to. Why has Your Grace chose to be here ?'.

'True, I might've come here to see if the royal gold was put to good use. However, besides other reasons...I was looking for you. I knew that the owner of this establishment, would know where I could find you. He wasn't here, so I was waiting for him. But fortunately, you showed up.', he quickly answered.

The sorceress replied with a squint of her green eyes and seemed captivated in what the young king had to say. 'I don't think it is very wise for the royal guards to let you wander around the city...'.

'I agree.', the king chuckled. 'However, folk don't recognize me very often, as of yet. And, I got here via a portal Zapheir opened for me.'.

'Even so, Zapheir, could've sent me a letter, or contact me himself in your stead...', she replied, annoyed by the carelessness of the mage. 'But knowing him, he wouldn't send you here if he wasn't able to intervene.', she continued. 'So, why were you looking for me, Your Grace ?'.

'I'll put it plainly. I want you to serve as my right hand and advisor. I know you since I can remember. You served as an advisor to my grandfather, and he trusted you. I too, trust you. Even more, I don't trust anyone else in the capital, besides Zapheir. Thus, my proposal. Will you accept ?'.

'I don't think this- would be wise, Your Grace. What did Zapheir say about this ? Besides, let's not forget the fact that the royal court might frown upon your decision to name me as-'.

'I am the king. I can name and dismiss royal advisors if I want to. And, Zapheir is the one that suggested this approach.', he replied, raising from the chair while picking his sword belt from the table.

'Zapheir suggested it you say ?', she asked surprised, then paused. 'True. However, if Your Grace remembers, your father, craved for the sight of me being tied to a pillar and burnt alive. Yet, to my good fortune and surprise, he settled on having me exiled from the capital. Also, several of his advisors from then, are still present-'.

'I do remember. But, as I said, you and Zapheir, are the only ones in the capital I can trust at the moment.', he interrupted. 'Besides, we were both under the impression that you would prefer to serve as an advisor rather than a witch and a healer. Which would be a quite waste of your expertise in politics. Expertise that I need. From what I recall, you used to not be bothered with what the royal court even thought of you...'.

She remained silent for a while, then she gave a knock of her left boot to the floor, then addressed the king. 'So be it. I will accept to serve as your right hand and advisor, Your Grace.', she said approaching.

'Good.', he replied with a sigh of relief.

'Your Grace wasn't sure I would accept ?', she asked, almost mockingly.

'It would be a lie, to say that I did not have my doubts...'.

'If I had refused...What would Your Grace have done ? Burn me on a pyre...Hang me ? Decapitate me ? Flay me alive ?'.

'Nothing. It was but an offer. Not an order.', he replied, as he buckled the belt. 'I know you are mocking me...'.

'Another monarch would have my tongue for it.', she said approaching.

'Your sharp tongue is among your finest tools...'.

'And, you're years at the royal court in Tretogor turned you into a wise man. We can make a good king of you yet. By the way, how did Your Grace fare within King's Arbor Royal Court ?'.

'According to my uncle I did great. He would say I flourished, in a way, surrounded by the finest teachers and scholars in the north. That nor my father or my brother were as near as sharp minded and as skilled a sword fighter as I am. My aunt said during dinner one evening, that he praises me more than his own children. Fair or not, he replied that he does so, for as of yet, she didn't birth him any sons. But, I believe it was because he loved his sister, my mother, and in some way, through my wits, I might have reminded him of her...', he said, with a sigh, sliding his fingers along the side of the vase that sat on the table. 'Most of the years, I felt as if I was exiled. Casted away by my own father...'.

'It wasn't exile, Your Grace, but a move made for the sake of diplomacy, to strengthen and maintain close relations with the Redanian royal family following the passing of the Queen, your mother...'.

'I understand diplomacy, but what he did was-'.

'Of no importance anymore.', the sorceress interrupted, approaching the king, as he too stepped away from the table towards her, and once they came close to one another, she reached to arrange the collar of his coat. 'What was done in the past cannot be changed. One can only strive and hope for a better future...Your Grace is to hold the reins of power now. Handle them wisely. Use your resources carefully, and you'll be able to hold on them long...'.

'I never took you for an optimist.', he replied, gazing in her green eyes.

'That's because I am not one. Time does that to you. It rots away your hopes and dreams, and replaces them with bitterness and pessimism. Optimism is a trait of youth, and as for hope, that is a trait of the naive.', she replied, and as she finished arranging his collar, her hands were now resting on his chest.

'Therefore, that makes me naive ?', asked the king.

'No. That makes you young.', she replied with a smile. As from the corridor leading to the bathroom, an individual knocked twice on the door jamb.

'Ahem. Sir.', he replied bowing his head. 'Sorceress.', he continued scornfully. 'How's my wife ?'.

'She's feeling much better, her pains have alleviated-', she replied taking a few steps toward the door.

'Has the maid payed you, yet ?', the owner of the bath house interrupted.

'She has-'.

'Then, why are you here for ?', he interrupted again, stepping into the room. 'Wasn't it enough that my wife lost the child !? You've come to rub it in my face ? To watch as I turn and agonize in my own skin ? To smirk at my unfortune ?'.

'I'd like to remember you, that only because of me-'

'Because of you ! My child died, in the womb of my wife ! And almost took her life as well...', he said, raising his shivering voice. 'You with your foul magic, and damned herbs, and-'.

'The child died because you beaten her !', the sorceress replied, topping the volume of his voice.

He almost broke his teeth while grinding them, and his right hand's fingers cracked as he gathered them into a fist. 'How dare you !'.

'She almost killed herself this morning.'.

'What ?', he said, his voice growing weaker.

'That's when she told me. If I were a mere half of the malicious bitch you think I am, I would've let her cut her own arms and bleed to death. Hell, I would've cut her myself, and sit at her head, caressing her hair as the light in her eyes dwindled away and disappeared in the darkness of the night. But I didn't. I calmed her down, and watched over her until she fell asleep.'.

He made a few steps to the left, as he slid his right hand over the face. 'I didn't want to strike her. She- charged toward me, screamin' and cursin' and I-', he began, reaching for the chair near the door, as if he felt lightheaded. '-She fell near the table, taking down the damn table cloth along with everything on it. I- immediately reached for her, took her in my arms and-', he stopped as he sat on the chair and remained silent for a while, then raised his head. 'That- That's not when she lost it-'.

'It was.'.

'You're lying !', he screamed standing up from the chair.

At that moment, he wanted to run at the sorceress and strike her down with all his strength, but found himself unable to move. 'What is this-'.

'Orena.', the king murmured, touching her right shoulder. As she reached out toward the owner of the bathhouse, by extending her right hand and after that, in the blink of an eye, the man collapsed on the floor.

'Is he-'.

'No. I just put him to sleep.'.

They both approached him.

'Did he-'.

'Spoke the truth about me killing his child ?', she interrupted turning towards the king. 'I thought Your Grace trusted me ?'.

'I do, I just-'.

'Cannot ignore what he just said...'.

'Will he be fine ?'.

'He might wake up with one hell of a headache, but he will be fine. His wife, won't be so lucky...', she answered, now standing near him.

'Are you all right ?'.

'I'll be fine. Let's go.', Orena replied, then accompanied by the king, they left the room, and proceeded to get out of the bathhouse.

'How did you get yourself into this ?', the king asked as they stepped out of the bathhouse onto the busy streets of Ard Carraigh, while he shut the door.

'I received a letter one morning, requesting that I show up at their residence posthaste. And I did...When I arrived his wife was in much pain, so I used magic to calm her and ease her pain. She was to give birth in a fortnight or so. To avoid unwanted complications, I spent the day and the following night at their residence. Past midnight she started to experience great pain, then a few hours shy from dawn, she entered labor. And a few hours later she gave birth, but the child had been dead- for some time...', Orena answered, looking up, at the side of the roofs extending toward the main street, the furthest being engulfed in a thin layer of fog highlighted by sunlight. 'In a way it is my fault, for I did not examine the mother or the baby for traumas, nor did I think to question the maids...'.

'There's no way you could've known.', the king replied, trying to comfort Orena.

'It is. It seems that the years I've spent in solitary, made me forget how deceiving people can be...', she replied, then opened a portal. 'I'll go pick up my things. I'll see you and Zapheir at the palace.', she continued, then stepped through the portal, which closed behind her. While another opened to the left of King Toran.


	2. II

**.II.**

* * *

In the spring of 1106, among the hills on the southern bank of the Gwenllech river, along the western side of the Blue Mountains. On the road that if followed further southwest, would lead one to Ard Carraigh…

In the hills, south of the witcher fortress of Kaer Morhen, several hours before noon. An individual walking alongside his mare past through the gates of a rather recent salt mining village, and stopped near the watering spot. He hitched his mare, and then set his eyes upon the Inn standing a few dozen steps to the left side of the road, which, after patting his mare's neck he headed towards. Where he'd hope to find someone who could tell him more about the men that went missing inside the mine, situated on the western side of the village. For he heard of it from a caravan he crossed paths with a day ago, stating to have passed through the village two days prior.

On his way there, he noticed the mine's entrance being shut, with all the equipment needed for mining sitting in front of it, arranged in a pile, confirming the rumors saying that the workers threatened with strike if the owner of the mine wouldn't get their owed payment. While from across the road, near a hut in front of the inn, he passed three men that stared alike a bunch whose most fiery desire was to drive a dagger into his back, then burn his corpse alive while dancing 'round it as if it was Belleteyn, whilst singing merry songs. To his lack of luck that very day, contrary to the jolly weather and the whims and bad moods of his mare. As he entered the Inn, the eyes of those inside didn't seem to deviate from that same desire he had received from the folk he crossed eyes with outside. For their very stare, if it could, it would burn alike a hot iron.

'What do you want ?', asked the innkeeper, quickly stepping out from behind the bar, toward him.

'I'm looking for work-', spoke the individual, glancing over the faces present inside the inn.

'Listen, I don't want any trouble-', interrupted the innkeeper, nervous.

'I won't give you any trouble, I'm just looking for work-'.

'No work for you here. You need to leave, now...', the innkeeper insisted, hearing the screech of chairs and teeth coming from his left.

'You see I've heard the contrary-', the individual replied.

As from the table near, an inebriated man raised from his stool snickering, and after taking a short sip from his tankard, he spoke. 'Fellas, it seems this one doesn't take the hint.', he said, while the men present within the inn chuckled. 'Fuck off ! We don't appreciate your kind passing through here.'. His clothes were ragged and a pungent stench surrounded him. He looked like a miner, or a common bandit. To think of it none of the men inside the Inn seemed to look any different, besides the innkeeper, as most of them probably had been incarcerated before. For thievery, rape, even murder, and somehow managed to escape the noose and ended up north, in search for a, 'better life'.

'Sit down.', said the innkeeper then approached the stranger. 'You must leave.', the innkeeper continued, concerned, as if something might spark at any moment.

'As you wish. I'll leave you be.', the stranger replied, turning towards the door.

'Wise choice, freak. Get out ! You better run, too...', said another from the opposite side of the inn. 'And don't dare coming back !'.

'There won't be much to come back to, anyway...', one of the men added, sparking a wave of laughter among the miners, as the stranger stepped out the door.

He wore a dark blue jacket, with a gray patch below his left shoulder, near which, hanging by his neck was a silver medallion in the shape of the head of a wolf. Holding on his belt, as he stepped out of the inn, looking toward the same men he crossed eyes with before entering the Inn. He stepped down the stairs in front of the establishment and advanced toward the watering spot where he left his mare, while the men across the Inn murmured and one of them spat behind him. He took the reins of his mare and climbed in the saddle, looking back toward the men that if given a mere nudge would run him out of the village, armed with pitchforks and torches.

'Come, girl. We're not welcomed here...', he murmured patting his mare's neck, then clicked his tongue, and with a nod, he slowly headed down the road, back beyond the rotten plank gates and out of the village.

* * *

He kept riding east for a couple of hours, until he came upon a military squadron stationed in the hills left of the Lixela. For as he was about to pass by their camp, a soldier stepped in the middle of the road. Unlike his men, he wore a golden tunic, with the Kaedwenian banner engraved above his heart. 'I can't thank the gods enough, for steering you this way, witcher...', the man spoke.

'Captain.', the witcher replied, stopping and dismounting. 'What's the matter ?', he continued, looking over the man's shoulder at the tents in the camp, as within the tent farthest from the road, on a couple of beds were laying several of his men. 'What happened ?'.

'Bloody elves. That's what happened...', the captain sighed. 'We were sent here by the voivode, to investigate a missing transport of weapons from Mahakam, that was to arrive in Ard Carraigh five days ago. For some reason, half of the weapons were sent by boat, up the Lixela, and the other half by wagon, two, more exactly. We tracked the wagons here, where up in those damned hills, we found the corpses of the drivers. By what I managed to deduce by inspecting their corpses, one died shot by arrows and the other had his windpipe severed. Then, all of a sudden I hear one of my men cry 'Elves !', and as I turn to look I see his head being pierced by an arrow, all the while we got surrounded by those sons of wenches, as some charged out of the trees covered by waves of arrows...They killed ten of my men, and injured two. While around a dozen gave chase, and as if all the bloodshed already wasn't enough, those poor bastards entered a cave formation south of here, at the base of those hills behind the camp, and ended up trapped inside.'.

'Some ?', asked the witcher.

'Aye. For some lay crushed beneath boulders, and only two out of a dozen managed to run out...'.

'Did those two say anything ?'.

'Anything ?! We barely calmed them enough in order to shut up. Both said that before the cave collapsed, they heard a deep roar then saw flashes of lighting coming from the depths of the cave, followed by an explosion. None saw any elves within the cave, yet swore that they saw them enter it.'.

'It's quite clear that they lured your men inside, and must've got out through another opening. They know those hills better then your men, captain. Should've told them all to retreat, instead of giving chase...'.

'I bloody did, but we got separated during the ambush...', the captain scoffed. 'Will you help me recover those trapped in the caves ?'.

'Are there any left alive ?'.

'My men talked with one of them. He said seven more were alive, but four of them were injured. You said there might be another entrance. Help me find it, and I'll pay you good coin.'.

'Alright then.', the witcher replied. 'Where's the cave ?'.

'Follow me.', said the captain, as the witcher followed after.

The witcher and the captain, accompanied by two officers, advanced toward the base of the hill where the cave was. Not a moment during their trip there, had the officers looked anywhere ahead on the road, as their eyes watched helplessly through the trees and shrubbery present on both sides of the road. Their heads turning at every rustle and crack of the trees...

'What did your men do with the corpses ?', asked the witcher.

'We managed to recover only a few, and we buried those deep. Why ?'.

'Did anyone examine them ? Their wounds ?'.

'What's there to examine ? Some died by sword others by arrow...', the captain said, looking up with his hand above the eyes toward the hills ahead. 'And those poor lads in the caves, who knows what they saw...', the captain resumed, nodding ahead toward the hill he and his men were ambushed. 'That's were we found the drivers. I want to send a few men to recover the bodies, but none want to return there. I barely made those two join us...'.

'Shouldn't they listen to a superior's orders ?'.

'Hah !', the captain replied with a laugh. 'Have you looked at them ? A bunch of pussies most of them. Those that had pricks 'tween their legs, either died, or got trapped in that damned cave. What I'm left with, is cowards !', he yelled turning toward the two officers behind him. 'Stop staring at those fuckin' trees. Neither of you can do shite if arrows come out !'.

As they made further progress toward the cave, they descended into a valley, where the trees on the sides of the road had been more scarce. However that didn't unnerve the officers, as they kept their heads straight, but their eyes continued to watch the trees just as helpless as before.

'There it is.', the captain said, as the witcher too, set his eyes upon the collapsed entrance of the cave, and the five soldiers standing near it.

'Captain.', greeted one of the officers that approached, a few dozen steps from the cave's collapsed entrance.

'Any news from those trapped inside ?'.

'No, sir.'.

'Keep me informed.'.

'Yes, sir.'.

'Alright, witcher. Shall we proceed to look for the other entrance ?', the captain asked, while the witcher nodded.

Both the captain and the witcher, advanced to look first for the other entrance up the hill, while the officers would look on the other side of the hill. As the witcher passed by the mouth of the cave, his eyes fell on a gauntlet protruding from under a boulder near the right side of the entrance. The piece of armor, was covered with a grayish almost black powder, alike ash. However, as he approached and kneeled near it, after he slid his fingers over the dust, he discovered that the powder similar to ash, was almost infused with the metallic surface of the gauntlet in certain places where it had small indentations as if something struck the surface. 'Heat...', the witcher murmured unsure, then looked up at the boulder which crushed the wearer of the gauntlet. Where on the surface near the sides, it was covered in a similar black-gray powder.

'Captain !', called one of the officers sent to look on the other side of the hill. 'Captain !', he called again, almost stumbling as he reached the side of the hill right of the cave.

'What !?', the captain, replied, from the other side of the cave. 'What ?'.

'We found something ! You must see ! Come up here !', the officer said.

The captain set his eyes on the witcher who was already advancing towards the officer, then with a grunt he joined as well. They climbed the side of the hill, and continued southeast, beyond a few trees, past which on the slope facing south was an elf's corpse, laid on it's back, with the right hand over the torso while the left was extended outwards. The left leg, was bent from the knee, outwards, visibly broken, the shin protruding through the skin, beneath the knee. As the back side of the skull, neck, back, arms, and thighs were scorched.

The witcher approached the corpse first, closely followed by the captain, looking towards the top of the hill.

'What do you think happened to this one ?', asked the officers, glancing over the lifeless carcass.

'Certainly not you lot...', the captain replied, making a few steps towards the corpse. 'But...', he resumed, arranging his belt, then spat. 'She got what she deserved.'.

The witcher was bent over for a while near the body of the she-elf. Thus far, he knew she had died in much pain, or maybe the pain had been so great, she couldn't feel anything anymore. Her face was turned west, as before she breathe her last, from her left eye she shed a tear, as with her left hand she caressed the stems of the dandelions surrounding her left side, while from her left nostril, a line of blood slid down her cheek and fell onto the grass. He took a deep breath, while he placed his right hand over her face, closing her eyelids, then stood up and focused his attention towards the top of the hill. 'She fell...', he began.

'What ?', asked the captain, looking towards the tip of the hill.

'Her spine and rib cage are broken, in such a way that it crushed her lungs. If it was caused by the fall, she must have fallen from quite a height...', the witcher said, then turned towards the captain. 'Then, there are the burn marks on the back of her skull and torso. As well as her skin and the metal from her tunic is covered by black dust similar to the one I've found on the boulders blocking the cave's entrance. Your men said there was an explosion, well, this is proof of that same explosion.'.

'Thus, we should look for the entrance up hill...', the captain added, as he then leaned to his left side.

'It seems that way.'.

'Then let's get going...'.

* * *

A/N: I just wanted to address the structure of the story and how it will shape up in a couple of chapters. As The Unicorn, will consist of multiple stories that I plan to be connected to each other by the end of the story.

Also I wanted to thank L'etranger0 for his review, and I hope you'll find future chapters interesting as well.

Thank you.


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